Hearing the Supersoul - The Science of Conscience

In the human experience, the voice of conscience is often treated as the ultimate moral arbiter—the inner whisper that guides one towards righteousness. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda, drawing on Vedic authority, challenges this fundamental assumption of modern civilization, defining conscience not as an infallible guide, but as a subtle field of struggle. Our so-called "good conscience" is constantly being influenced by material association, while the true, pure guidance originates from the Supersoul, or Caitya-guru, dwelling within the heart.

The Struggle: Conditioned Conscience vs. Divine Guidance

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the common understanding of conscience is actually a conditioned, discriminating power, highly susceptible to material surroundings. Our conscience reflects our environment.

• The conscience is created by association. By good association, conscience is the good conscience and by bad association, a bad conscience is created. So there is no such standard as conscience.
• The conscience, the so-called conscience is created. You go on killing, your conscience will be killing conscience, "It is all right."

Lust and Greed Overpower the Inner Voice

Within the heart of the conditioned soul, however, resides the Caitya-guru, the Supersoul, who is the original source of pure guidance. When we contemplate a wrong action, this internal guide attempts to intervene, resulting in an inner struggle.

• Everyone has got experience. When we want to do something wrong, there is conscience: "Don't do it." "No, no, let me do." There is struggle. So this is the struggle between the soul and the Supersoul.

If the Supersoul is always giving us good counsel, why do we constantly act against our better judgment? Śrīla Prabhupāda isolates the culprits: lust and greed. These powerful material forces possess the ability to silence or overrule the divine whisper.

• Sometimes our conscience bids, "Don't do this," but due to our lust and greediness we do something which is abominable. Kṛṣṇa is there within our heart. He also gives sometimes dictation, "Don't do it"; still, we do.
• The Supreme Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He begs him through his good conscience to refrain from sin.

The material world is a complicated trap where the human being misuses the advanced consciousness given by God, allowing animalistic desires to dictate activity.

• The human being bereft of his conscience, however, is prone to cause suffering for other living beings.

Purification: The Science of Conscience

The resolution to this internal conflict is purification. Śrīla Prabhupāda unequivocally states that one's conscience has no ultimate value until it is spiritually cleaned. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the process by which the individual's discriminating power is aligned with the will of the Supersoul.

• Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his conscience has no value. It is contaminated conscience.
• You have got discrimination, you have got conscience, you are claiming civilized, human being. So you should utilize these things. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, perfect consciousness.

The ultimate purpose of the human form is not economic development or satisfying the senses like dogs and hogs, but to utilize our advanced consciousness for self-inquiry and devotion, allowing the Supersoul’s perfect guidance to become clear.

Conclusion

The goal of the human form is to return to a pure, perfect consciousness. The voice of conscience, though weak and conditioned in the material state, is Kṛṣṇa's mercy—a constant reminder of the spiritual path. By taking shelter of the instructions of the spiritual master and engaging in devotional service, we align our conscience with the Caitya-guru, ensuring our every action is guided by transcendental truth.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Conscience. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.